I always wince when I enter a fey place. Ever since my Patron gave me the ability to see their entrances, which are normally hidden from Mundane eyes, and ever since she taught me how to enter them, I’ve never gotten used to it. I think, purposefully, you’re not supposed to get used to it. Never for a Mundane, that’s for certain. It’s that feeling that a small hand, definitely a small hand, suddenly appears on top of your head and scrunches your whole body down to about thirteen inches that gives me the willies. And then there’s that condescending pat on the head by the disembodied hand that’s just the slightest of irritations. But don’t get me wrong. I’m not one to look a gift newt in the mouth. I’m very honored my Patron showed me how to walk among the fey.

Which is why I decided I might look a little less conspicuous if I donned some fey clothing once I “sized down”, as it were. So I went to a brownie tailor shop. I understand that brownies make the best clothes, if not a little more sensible than some of the more outlandish spritely outfits that some fairies wear. I think I’d look ridiculous if I didn’t wear anything that wasn’t on the conservative side. So I found myself at “Buster Brownie’s” and after going through the unsavory transition, decided to have a look around. It didn’t take me but a few seconds to make my first faux pas.

“Is this all you have? Vests?”

“Something unusual about that?”

“Well, no. But, just vests?”

”No different than some Mundane store that sells only shoes, isn’t it?

I couldn’t argue with the logic.

It was then I noticed two other fairies come in. It wasn’t so much that they looked different, more like that they didn’t look any different, and took great measures to not look any different. If that makes sense. It didn’t make any sense to me, either but there we are.

“Nice place ya got here, Buster.”

“Can I help you two?”

“Ol’ Buster here wants to know if he can help us, Sparky.”

“Help us. Yeah, Glimmer, he can help us.”

I couldn’t help but noticing that the proprietor of the shop was getting a bit over fidgety, which can be a hard thing to notice in a fey, actually.

“Uh, I’m going to be closing up, soon, so—“

“He’s going to be closing up, Sparky.”

”That’s all right, Glimmer, it will give us a chance to talk real private like, then, eh Buster?”

“Look, what do you want? Can you make it quick?” Buster was actually sweating. I never thought I’d seen a fey sweat before.

“Word is on the street that you’ve got yerself a little side business, Buster. Isn’t that right, Sparky.”

“That’s right, Glimmer. Word on the street says so.”

“No, you got it wrong. I’m just a simple tailor. Vests a specialty.”

“Looks like an exclusivity, to me, Sparky. Vests as far as the eye can see”

”I got some other tailoreds that’s not vests out back if you are interested. Can I… interest… you?

This got my interest, and made a mental note to myself, but for now, it seemed I was being ignored for the whole exchange so far and I wanted to keep it that way. Seems like being a Mundane has SOME advantages.

“We understand that you’ve been doing a little distilling on yer own, Buster.”

”Me? No. Nothing like that. I’m just a brownie, how could I --?”

”Are you calling Glimmer a liar, then, Buster? Is that my understanding?”

”No! No! Not at all.”

“Now, we got this vial from a boggle, and when Sparky here got done with him, he gave up yer name.”

Mary Bryant wrote:
"Man you are so awesome..I love the stuff you write...
This was so cool to read...I loved the ending and the whole setup...you are one gifted gentleman."
--Thanks for the comment, Mary.